Goodbye
by Dlbn
Summary: The day has arrived for Soubi to leave Seven Voices Academy. But is Soubi really ready to leave and never look back? *Special dedication fic*


Dlbn: Hey there, everyone! Welcome to yet another Loveless fic of mine!

Nbld: The inspiration from this comes from watching a YouTube video about Soubi and Ritsu. I always wondered what was going through their minds when Soubi left Seven Voices Academy, considering how receptive Soubi is of his Sensei now.

Dlbn: So we broke out this gem! Now, let's get started!

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Soubi Agatsuma, Ritsu Minami, Nagisa Sagan, Seimei Aoyagi, or any other characters mentioned/appearing here. They all belong in Loveless and therefore belong to Yun Kouga. I make NO money off of writing this fanfic.

Dedication: I want to dedicate this fic to four people in my hometown. Due to the reckless and stupid decision of a 22 year old man to drive drunk, two high school students were stolen from their families and friends, and their respective boyfriend and girlfriend were left in critical condition. This fic goes out to all those affected by this accident. In memory of the deceased high school seniors, and in hopes of a full and speedy recovery for the two survivors. Though the two schools attended by these students (both deceased and the surviving male from one, and the surviving girl from another) were from rival schools, we all put that rivalry aside and banded together to show our support. Our community is one huge family, and we will not let them go on forgotten. (Heart here because fanfic won't let me put it for some reason)

000

17 year old Soubi Agatsuma couldn't believe it. He was finally getting away from Seven Voices Academy and Principal Ritsu Minami; the school he grew up at, and the man that took his innocence from him. Although, truth be told, this wasn't why he pictured leaving. He once thought that Sensei would name him and then let him go off into the world to do whatever it was that he had to do; but plan on being called back every so often to take and follow orders. He had never once thought, however, that he would be leaving because his Sensei had given him away. Apparently too afraid to do the naming himself, Ritsu merely handed Soubi off to a boy by the name of Seimei Aoyagi instead. Seimei was an okay kid, though not the greatest person Soubi had ever met. He had named Soubi a few days before by carving his name into Soubi's neck. Soubi had asked for it to be painful, and his new Sacrifice had obliged. After waking up from passing out due to the blood loss, Soubi had marched to Ritsu's office. He made the elder male see the scars, and run his fingertips with the blunt nails over the markings. Ritsu had been furious, but Soubi didn't really care. They ended up having sex for the final time in Ritu's office that day; no matter how uncomfortable it had been and how sore Soubi still was. The only thing Soubi saw positive about the whole experience was that Ritsu had given him paperwork to apply to Ato Art College, in Tokyo; close to Seimei. Soubi didn't intend on going there to make friends or actually waste time on his art-though Ritsu assured him that he was a fantastic artist and should make use of his talents as such-but staying as close to Seimei as possible was a good option in his book. He figured Seimei was _not_ the type of person that would like to have to travel to meet with people. He'd probably much rather have people come to him. But without money or free transportation of any form, going to see Seimei every time he called was near impossible. Not to mention that it took six or seven hours to get from the school in Gora to the train station in Japan; and that was by car, let alone by trains that stopped every few hours.

Soubi was dragged out of his thoughts by an obtrusive knock on the door. Figuring it was Seimei, he instantly dropped his clothing to the floor and went to the door. Taking a slight deep breath to compose himself, he plastered a false smile on his face and answered the door. Standing on the other side wasn't Seimei, but rather Nagisa-sensei. She held a small box in her hands adorned with blue-green paper decorated with black butterflies. Great, butterflies. The one thing Soubi hated more then Ritsu. Nagisa-sensei looked like she would rather be anywhere else then where she was at that given time. Soubi kept the false grin on.

"Nagisa-sensei?" He wondered. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Can it, Agatsuma, I know you're not that happy to see me." She ordered softly. "I only came to give you this." She handed him the box in one hand. Her pink painted nails rapped on the box. "It's from Ritsu. He'd come on his own, but he was too distraught to do so."

"Distraught?" Soubi cocked an eyebrow. "Ritsu-sensei?"

She nodded once and shook the box at him. "Well, go on. Open the damn thing."

Soubi took the box from her and gently took the wrapping off, starting with the black bow on top. She tapped her foot impatiently and folded her arms over her chest as he took his time to open it. Wrapping fluttered to the ground before Soubi found the white box inside. It looked like there was a ring or a bracelet inside of it. He gave Nagisa-sensei a 'really' look, making her shrug indifferently. Soubi sighed and opened the box and found a small silver key inside. A butterfly hung off of a key ring attached to the key.

"What in the world is this for?"

"It's a key to an apartment. Ritsu got you your own place there, and he's willing to pay rent and utilities as long as you stay in college and don't cause problems." She informed. "The address is written on a slip of paper under that foam thing."

Soubi pulled the foam insert up and pulled out the paper. "405 Sakura Drive, apartment 200." He read. "Got it…" He looked at Nagisa. "Tell Sensei I say thank you, if you wouldn't mind."

"I don't mind, no, but you should do it yourself."

"I already said my goodbye."

"There's a difference between goodbye and thank you." She turned on her spiked black heel and walked away.

Her heels clacked a rhythm on the floor as Soubi turned away and shut his door. Sensei was really going all out for him. It was probably Soubi's inheritance money he was using, which was what he used to provide for Soubi all these years, but it was nice that he still seemed to care enough to lend him some money and keep him with a roof over his head. Maybe there was some compassion inside that man after all. Soubi set the box on his desk and went back to picking up his clothes and packing. While grabbing notebooks and other items off of his table, he spotted several pictures sitting on a shelf. The first one was of him at graduation; looking very displeased as Ritsu's other ward, Chouma Kaido wrapped her arms around his neck and giggled at the camera. If there was anyone in the school other then Ritsu that Soubi was glad to be getting away from, it was her and her fighter. They were both incredibly unstable people. Soubi sighed and moved onto looking at the other pictures. Most were of him alone, or photographs of paintings he'd seen at an art gala with Ritsu once, but a couple of one of them caught his eye. One was of his mother and father at their high school graduation, smiling, and then one next to it in the same frame of them holding Soubi as a baby. The second one that caught his eye was taken of him and Ritsu, but without Soubi's knowledge. Ritsu had given to Soubi as an 'anniversary of their first time' present. They were sitting together at a table in the school cafeteria. Ritsu had apparently said something funny, which Soubi was actually surprised by, and Soubi was laughing. Ritsu smiled at him from across the table. Soubi still had his ears back then. Soubi considered the picture to be a mockery; a sign from Ritsu saying 'I own you, and I won't let you forget it', 'I'm the one who took your ears, and you have to live with that'. But perhaps it wasn't that at all. Maybe Ritsu was just trying to remind Soubi of the happier times they'd spent together. Back when Soubi felt nothing but unconditional love for the man who raised him, trained him, beat him, and fed him promises of being together forever as Sacrifice and Fighter. Soubi frowned at the thought. Ritsu had promised him forever, promised him the _world_…but then gave him away and thus took everything he promised away. They wouldn't be together forever. They wouldn't fight side by side during the day and share their love in the night. Soubi had given the man his heart, only to have it ripped out, smashed to tiny pieces, and vaporized. Soubi growled and took the photo. He poised it, ready to smash the frame into the floor and shatter the glass like his heart had been shattered…but then stopped to think. He looked at the photo again and let a small smile play across his lips. Though Ritsu was a heartless bastard at times, and just as careless as his true name declared him to be, there were good memories. Not everything was misery and sorrow.

Ritsu had been an inconsiderate ass the day they first met, a cold and uncaring teacher…but he was also a gentle caregiver. A loving guardian, a sweet and caring lover. Nights spent together passionately in Ritsu's room, or Soubi's room if the other students were away for holidays, danced in Soubi's mind. The man who took his ears by practically force, who treated him harshly, and who stole the world from underneath his feet was also the man who loved him as more then just a burden, someone who cared about his wellbeing when others-Soubi included-didn't care. Ritsu was like a coin. He had two faces. Depending on the situation, Soubi had been privileged-if that was the right word-to see both of those faces. The cold and uncaring man on the surface, and the gentle and sweet human underneath.

Now thinking better of it, Soubi gently set the photo on top of his clothes; so he could see it the moment he began to unpack. He sighed. For all the troubles between the two of them, there were also great things they had shared.

1. Soubi being beat up in school for being a teacher's pet, and Ritsu had lovingly patched him up; albeit scolding him at the same time for being vulnerable and weak.

2. Ritsu comforting Soubi after his ears were lost, and helping him deal with the pain that came with the sex they had had together.

3. Ritsu treating the whip wounds on Soubi's back, although Ritsu had caused them, and not complaining once.

4. The numerous times Ritsu had complimented Soubi's art out of the blue.

5. The day Ritsu promised Soubi they would be together forever, both as a unit and not. And the resulting sexual gratification both were treated to.

6. The Christmas Ritsu took Soubi snow tubing at a lodge; where they got a two bed room to avoid suspicion, but shared a bed anyway.

7. Ritsu giving Soubi the information about the college and practically forcing him to go.

8. The night a drunken Ritsu called Soubi to tell him how much he really meant to him, though Ritsu had forgotten by the next day.

There were many more memories that kept flooding back to Soubi as he stared at the picture; which was another one of his memories. Soubi smiled and closed the suitcase.

000

Soubi knocked slowly on the wood door in the old school house marked 'I. Minami Ritsu'. He waited for a moment in the completely blank hallway. The old school house had a little bit of paint chipping in certain areas, and ugly brown-black tiles on the floor, but everything about the building was immaculate. There was no dust or dirt anywhere that Soubi could see, and probably none at all. Each door had a plaque on it that said in gold filigree what the room was. The members of Septimal Moon had numbers before their names, but everything else was mostly things like 'dining hall' and 'recreational room'. Soubi knew the maze of hallways well, even where each room was and why it was placed there in the first place. Every original member of Septimal Moon had chosen where their room/office would be in the building, and it had carried over into the new generations. Only a couple rooms had been changed over the years. Ritsu's was one of them, considering he hated the man who ran Septimal Moon before him and wanted nothing to do with the room as a result. The original location was now either a closet or a bathroom.

Getting no reply, Soubi knocked harder this time. He heard cursing coming from inside the office before angry footsteps walked to the door. Soubi took a step back as the door swung open quickly.

"Damn it, Nagisa, I said I'll come out when I'm good and ready to…" Ritsu spotted Soubi and stopped. "Oh…Soubi-kun…w-why are you here?" He ran a hand through his silvery locks, as his dark blue-green eyes looked slightly surprised by Soubi's appearance.

"May I come in?" Soubi pushed past Ritsu without waiting for an answer or uttering another word.

Ritsu didn't argue as he shut the door. As per usual, the room was in complete darkness, save for the light coming from the screen of Ritsu's desktop computer. Soubi wondered why he didn't get a laptop instead, considering he had the money, but he never asked.

"Why are you here?" Ritsu repeated, a little more firm this time.

"Obviously to see you." Soubi turned to face the elder male. "Or is this a bad time? Looking at porn again, perhaps?"

He walked in on Ritsu watching pornography on the computer once, and had decided to teach him a lesson about being seduced by something other then Soubi himself. The result was three hours of pure bliss, and two weeks of complete pain in Soubi's backside and knees.

"Of course not." Ritsu replied. "I learned my lesson last time."

Ah, so he remembered. Good. Soubi wasn't really in the mood for 'teaching' him again.

"Good, then."

Ritsu smirked. "Do you need something, brat?"

"Brat, hm? You weren't calling me that when I was in your bed a few days ago." Soubi winked, making his Sensei flush slightly. "I have a purpose here, yes."

"What is it?"

"I want to thank you. For the apartment and the key."

"You're welcome." Ritsu nodded once. "You could've just called."

"Are you unhappy to see me?" Soubi wondered. "Do I displease you by being here?"

"Never." Ritsu took a couple steps forward. "I'm just surprised you would come all this way just to thank me in person."

Soubi smirked as he shrugged. "I felt it was more personal to go about this in this manner, instead of the one you are proposing."

Ritsu blinked. "Why speak so formally, Soubi-kun? After what we've been through together, and how well I know you, I would think you would speak to me in a more friendly manner."

"You are not my sacrifice, and thus, you are my enemy, no?"

Ritsu frowned. "That's not how it works, Soubi-kun. I may not be your Sacrifice, but I _was_, in fact, your first. I always will be, and that will never change between us." He said. "We have a bond…deeper then any bond shared by two people."

"Deeper then the bond of a Sacrifice and a Fighter?" Soubi wondered, cocking his head to the side so his long blonde hair cascaded over one shoulder. "Tell me, sensei, does such a thing exist?"

"Yes." Ritsu nodded and took a couple more steps closer.

Soubi inched away. "I'd be surprised to learn that. In fact, I _am_ quite surprised."

Ritsu kept getting closer as Soubi backed away to a wall covered in glass covered boxes that held dead, pinned butterflies of all colors and sizes.

"The bond we share can never be broken." Ritsu went on. "It is what binds us together…what makes us…_us_." He explained. "Never forget that, Soubi. No bond you have with anyone else, Seimei or not, will ever touch the one we have. Will never be greater then the one that we share together, as a couple." He grabbed Soubi's left hand in his and brought the knuckles to his mouth to kiss them. "You know that as well as I do. There's no escaping."

Soubi pulled his hand back, only for it to be snatched again by Ritsu and pissed to the wall above his head. Thoughts danced around in Soubi's head that were way beyond someone of his age. He got images of Ritsu pressing him to the wall; fingers stumbling as they undid one another's shirt and pants. Clothing being tossed to the side as Ritsu used his whip to bind Soubi's hands above his head, and push him onto the table to take him once more.

Soubi shook away the images as Ritsu cocked a smirk.

"Are you thinking of something, Soubi?" Ritsu wondered. "Something you want to forget…?" He leaned closer and flicked his tongue against the shell of Soubi's ear. Soubi shuddered at the contact and arched from the wall slightly. Ritsu chuckled and repeated the action, grabbing onto Soubi's left hip with his free hand and rubbing their groins together. Soubi moaned against the friction and looked up at Ritsu; lust clouding his cobalt blue eyes. Soubi leaned up so he was only a hair's width from Ritsu's lips.

"You, me…" Soubi spoke softly. "_Now_."

Ritsu quickly took Soubi's lips in his own, slipping a hand up under the boy's shirt. Soubi moaned at the contact. Maybe he wasn't ready to say goodbye just yet…

000

Soubi stood with Ritsu on the front steps of Seven Voices Academy as a cab waited patiently in front of them, parked in the cul-de-sac driveway leading to the steps. The cabbie seemed more interested in his book then in what the two males he was working for were doing.

"Are you sure you don't want me to go with you? Just this once?" Ritsu wondered, running his fingers through the teenager's fair colored hair.

"I'm a big boy, Ritsu, I can handle a simple move by myself." Soubi replied. "Don't worry about me. I have a map and money. All my stuff is there already, save for this." Soubi lifted the black bag on drawstrings that he was going to carry around with him to hold his stuff. "I'll be alright."

"Alright…but if you need me, my number is programmed at number on in your cell phone, okay?" Ritsu wondered. "And the school itself is number 2. I put everyone else in there under your contacts, but they aren't on speed dial. Call me the second you get to Tokyo, and the second you get to your apartment, alright? I don't want to have to send a search party for you. Is that understood?"

Soubi put a finger to the man's lips before he could say anything more to him. "Stop ranting like Nagisa-sensei." He ordered. "I'll be fine. You've got to learn to let go and let me grow up sometime, Sensei."

Ritsu kissed the fingertip. "I don't want to let you go."

"You have to." Soubi looked to the cab, where an impatient Seimei was sitting, looking anywhere but at the two of them. "It's time that I move on as well. There will be others, Ritsu, to replace me."

'What if I don't want to replace you?"

Soubi looked back up at him. "You don't have a choice now. You should've thought about that before you handed me over to Seimei like some consolation prize."

"You were never a consolation prize."

Soubi didn't answer to that for a few moments. Ritsu spoke again before he could.

"You should know that I was once in love with your mother."

"I'm well aware. You may have denied it all these years, but you always told me I looked like her before you kissed me." Soubi informed with a sigh as he heard the one of the cab doors pop open. "I'm not really surprised, honestly. But it wasn't my place to say. Not while I was in your bed, at least."

"I really don't need to hear about such things." Seimei scolded from the side of the cab. He stood leaning on the cab with his arms folded over his chest. "Soubi, let's get going. I have a paper to finish. If I have to hand it in late because you made me wait around, it'll be your head."

"You should have finished before coming here." Ritsu informed with a cocky smirk.

Seimei sneered at him, tail and ears twitching irritably. "What I do is not of your concern, Ritsu." Seimei looked him over. "Perhaps you have business you should have finished before I arrived, too, no?"

Ritsu glared over the top of his glasses. "Get back in the cab, brat. He'll be along in a minute."

Soubi's eyes widened a little. "S-Sensei…Don't…don't talk to Seimei that way." He ordered.

Ritsu looked surprised before realizing that Soubi was just defending his master, and sighed. "Fine." He replied. "Seriously, Seimei, these matters are not for young boys who still have their ears."

Seimei snorted. "You think that not having your ears stops you from being a young boy?" He wondered. "Ritsu, I'm more of an adult then you are. With or without my ears." He smirked before slipping into the cab. "Not too long, Soubi." He slammed the door.

Ritsu rolled his eyes and pulled Soubi close to him in a crushing hug. "I'm going to miss you, Soubi-kun, I really am." He kissed the top of Soubi's head. "Though I loved your mother at one point in time, there was only you. It was always you." He tilted Soubi's chin up. Soubi's cobalt blue eyes were cold and unresponsive. "Sukidayo…Soubi-kun." He pressed his lips to Soubi's but received no reaction. He pulled away. "Did I do something wrong?"

"It's time for a little secret of my own, Sensei." Soubi informed. He grabbed the man by the collar and pulled him close. "I'm not fond of you. I hate you for what you did to me." He informed. "The sex may have been good, and I may have fond memories of you and I together; both as a couple and as student and teacher. But those memories are tainted by one simple fact concerning my first time." He glared harshly at his Sensei. "You. Raped. Me."

Ritsu's eyes grew behind his wire glasses. He thought, truly thought, that Soubi had been a willing participant in their first time. He hadn't been?

"But…but I don't understand."

Soubi let go of his collar and backed up. "No, you don't. And there lies the problem." He walked down the stairs to the side of the cab opposite of Seimei. He grabbed the door handle to the cab's left rear door. "Goodbye, Sensei. May we cross paths again." He slipped in and slammed the door shut.

"Let's go." Seimei told the cab driver."

The cab pulled away from the school once the driver had closed his seemingly very interesting book. Soubi didn't look at Ritsu as he left; knowing full well that there was hurt on his Sensei's face. Sure, he'd been slightly willing his first time, but he had only been fourteen, and Ritsu much older. It was rape whether either of them considered it to be or not. Perhaps it was more non-consensual more then it was rape, but that didn't matter. Soubi heard the front gates of Seven Voices Academy screech open. The gatekeeper tilted his head to say goodbye.

"Are you going to miss it there?" Seimei wondered, not looking at Soubi. "The truth."

"I will." Soubi said.

"Will you miss _him_?"

"I will."

"You won't." Seimei finally glared at Soubi. "That's an order, do you understand? You recall what happened your first time. You don't want anything to do with him, correct?"

"Well…I…er…"

"He _betrayed_ you, Soubi. He made promises he couldn't and _wouldn't_ keep. He never intended to share forever with the likes of you. He only saw you as a replacement part for a love the old geezer couldn't get on his own." Seimei told him. "You understand, Soubi? He only used you for his sick, twisted little games, and you played right into his hands."

"H-Hai…I do understand, Seimei."

"What's the point of missing someone who doesn't care? It's a waste of energy and mental power you could focus on other things." Seimei went on.

Where the cabbie may have heard suggestions, all Soubi heard was orders. He nodded. "Hai, Seimei. I won't miss Ritsu."

"Why not?"

"He doesn't deserve my time."

"Why."

"He only used me for his own gain. There was no love there. It was all false."

"Because?"

"No one could ever truly love a blank."

Seimei nodded once and looked back out the cab window, signaling that the conversation was over. Soubi looked out his own window to the trees rushing past; Seven Voices Academy was located deep within a forest to keep away potential unwanted visitors, and reduce potential damage from spells. He sighed mentally as he thought over Seimei's words.

Seimei was wrong. He had to be. Ritsu cared about him. If he didn't care, he wouldn't be so unwilling to let him go, and he wouldn't be paying for Soubi's apartment and living expenses. He wouldn't have told Soubi to apply to an art college because his art was actually good. If he didn't care, he would have kicked Soubi to the curb years ago when he pissed him off. He wouldn't have taken him in. All their nights together in bed danced through his head. It felt good, being with Ritsu, there was no denying that. Their bond was strong, as well, or Soubi wouldn't have felt the wire around him, that was meant to bond to his Sacrifice, tingle when they were together. Maybe they really were meant to be together. Ritsu had called Seimei 'persuasive'. Did that mean that Soubi becoming Seimei's was all _Seimei's_ idea that Ritsu fell for?

000

As Soubi opened his suitcase that was sitting on his bed in his new apartment, he caught sight of the picture of himself and Ritsu in the cafeteria. He picked it up with one hand and felt a flood of emotions hit him. Wetness began to form in his eyes and he wiped away the tears. Ritsu wasn't a bad person. He really wasn't. There had been no answer when Soubi called to say he'd arrived in Tokyo, so he'd left a message. When they got to the apartment, Seimei insisted on doing a little rearranging. That rearranging included removing Soubi's bed frame-as Fighters shouldn't be permitted to live in comfort-and to put all his furniture in storage. Soubi grabbed his cell phone and speed dialed Ritsu's number again. The phone rang four times before someone picked up.

"Yes?" It was Ritsu.

Soubi felt his heart skip a beat. "You want to know a secret?" He wondered softly.

There was no reply for a few minutes. "What is it?"

"You never hurt me."

Silence rang on the other end of the phone for a few moments. "You put up quite a front there in front of Seimei, Soubi." Ritsu spoke. "I'm proud of you."

"I know."

"I miss you."

"I miss you too." Soubi said. "But…Seimei said I can't miss you…"

"What else did he say?"

"That you never…" Soubi choked.

"Don't listen to him." It was an order. "I will always love you, Soubi-kun. I never did anything I did in order to hurt you. I gave you to someone who could use your power to your full potential. I did what was best for you."

"I know that." Soubi agreed. "But…for Seimei…I have to pretend I can't. Can I lie to my Sacrifice?"

"As long as he never finds out."

"Never." Soubi sighed. "I better go, Sensei…it's late."

"Hai, it is. Good night, Soubi-kun. I hope to hear from you again soon."

"That may not be a good idea. Seimei might check…"

"Will I ever hear from you again?"

"Don't contact me. I'll call you."

"Okay." He hear Ritsu choke. "Goodbye, Soubi-kun. I love you."

"I love you too, sensei." Soubi replied, hanging up before Sensei could speak again.

"What did I tell you?" A voice wondered.

Soubi turned around to spot Seimei behind him. The teen's ears were back and his tail was still. The corner of his mouth twitched in irritation.

"Not to miss Ritsu."

"And you told him?"

"That I love him…"

Seimei sighed. "Soubi, I'm going to have to teach you a lesson. The hard way."

Soubi closed his eyes and grit his teeth, but a blow didn't come. He opened his eyes to see Seimei smirking and shaking his head slowly.

"Not in that manner pervert." Seimei replied. "Soubi Agatsuma…I will…_control_ that name."

Soubi went rigid as Seimei spoke the spell. The power of suggestion. He was going to make Soubi do something he didn't want to do.

"Soubi?"

"Hai, master."

"Erase your fond memories of Ritsu. Keep only the bad. This is an order. Understood."

"Understood…" Soubi couldn't stop himself as he spoke the words to a forgetfulness spell. As his memories began to fade away he shed tears. "Goodbye…Sensei."

His final good memories of Ritsu vanished with a pop as Seimei's spell wore off. Soubi shook his head. What was he doing?

"Seimei?" He wondered. "What happened?"

"You blanked out, baka." Seimei snarled. "It's late. Get to bed. I'm going home to do my work and take care of my brother. Goodnight."

Soubi nodded. "Goodnight."

Seimei left and slammed the door shut harshly. Soubi went to his suitcase and began pulling out clothes to put away. Once he was finished, he looked around the room and then back at the suitcase. He couldn't help but feel like he was forgetting something. Missing something important.

000

As he walked home alone in the pouring rain, umbrella-free Seimei Aoyagi clutched a framed picture in his hand. It was of Soubi and Ritsu in the school cafeteria. They looked happy together. Seimei growled at the picture in disgust and shattered the frame on the ground. He picked up the photo by one corner. There was no reason to keep this around where Soubi may stumble upon it one day and unlock his memories. It only took one small item or detail to bring back everything hidden by the spell Soubi had known. It was a higher level spell, which was impressive at Soubi's age. Seimei continued the journey home, with only the picture in hand. Once in his room, he buried it deep in a photo album in his room and put it back on its shelf.

"Seimei?" A small voice wondered. "What are you doing?"

Seimei turned to see his little brother, Ritsuka, sitting behind him on Seimei's bed and rubbing at his eye. The smaller neko was dressed in purple pajamas with scattered blue butterflies. The butterflies on it reminded Seimei of Soubi's eyes, as much as he hated to think about it; it being Soubi.

"Nothing, Ritsuka." Seimei grinned as he lied to his brother. "Why are you awake? And in my room?"

"You weren't here, so I slept in here…" Ritsuka said. "Can I stay here tonight?"

"I don't see why not." Seimei grinned. "But I have to do some homework, so why don't you just go to bed without me and I'll join you after I finish and shower. Okay?"

"Okay." Ritsuka lay back down. "Good night, Seimei."

"Good night, Ritsuka."

000

Back in Gora, Ritsu switched off his bedside lamp and set his closed book on the nightstand. He folded his glasses and put them on top of the book. Settling back in bed, Ritsu lay on his back, arms folded under his head and legs stretched and crossed out in front of him. He sighed and closed his eyes.

"Goodbye, Soubi-kun." He spoke softly. "May we meet again."

It wasn't until later that night that Nagisa would check up on him and notice the dry tear trails down his cheeks. She sighed and covered him.

"Good night, Ritsu." She said. "Goodbyes aren't for forever."

With that, she left the room. Unbeknownst to her, a still awake Ritsu smiled.

"Goodbye…isn't forever."


End file.
